(Photo: Kate Jones)

“Comedians always say to me, ‘I don’t know where to go. Do I go to New York or do I go to L.A.?’ I say, ‘Look, if you want to continue training, go to New York. If you think you’re ready to get in the ring, go to L.A.’ You can’t hide in L.A. The business is everywhere. Whatever you do onstage is going to be seen by somebody, and it’s going to be talked about to somebody. There’s a generation of people who are coming up now, comics like Moshe Kasher, Kyle Kinane, Kumail Nanjiani, and Pete Holmes. They have that unique voice that’s off-kilter and not necessarily mainstream. Upright Citizens Brigade continues to be a hub for a lot of different types of comedy. It’s almost like an AA-meeting clubhouse. You can go at any time of night, and there’ll be a show of some kind. The Comedy Store on Sunset is a relic of bygone times—comedy from the seventies and also strange weirdness from the forties. It’s just a freak show. But it’s bouncing back.” —Marc Maron, comedian